Political Game Theory

Catalog description

In this course, students will learn the basics of Game Theory with an emphasis on how it can teach us more about politics, with specific focus on non-cooperative games, models of strategic interaction without outside forces to ensure collaboration and teamwork. Our purpose in learning Game Theory is to get better at understanding and doing theoretical and empirical research related to politics. In other words, students are learning Game Theory as a tool to explain political interactions in the real world. In this course, students will address questions like: How can we talk about citizens' preferences in precise terms? What types of interactions produce cooperation and/or conflict? How do candidates position themselves and how do voters make their choices? What is the optimal strategy for addressing the risks of terrorism? How do legislators strike bargains? How do juries vote to convict or to acquit? When do candidates decide to enter elections and how is this like when countries decide to declare war?